


Of Course

by KimliPan



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Accidentally Distant Kylo Ren, Anxiety, Emotionally Constipated Hux, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Insecurity, Kylux - Freeform, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, One Shot, Space Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 12:18:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8844763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimliPan/pseuds/KimliPan
Summary: Hux isn't used to being apart from Ren now that they're together. Ren goes off on a mission that keeps him apart from the Finalizer for longer than they know how to deal with. Hux is an idiot and doesn't know how to read a space text message.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I knowww I've got a couple fics I should be updating, but I needed to work on something without a commitment. Felt good! Un-beta'd. Enjoy!

When did it start, Hux wondered as his finger dragged idly along the side of his datapad, eyes cast just over the top of it, staring at nothing. Where did they begin? He wasn’t quite sure, but if he had to formulate an answer to provide for a theoretical record somewhere, he might recall the first time he can remember their out-of-line fraternization.

An officers’ social. Ranked commanders dressed up, hair down, and cocktails in hand. Phasma managed to get out of it. And to Hux’s surprise, Kylo Ren was the person he hated least in the room.

No. It was irrelevant. The memory was sentimental. He had too much work to do to dwell on this.

He looked down at the datapad resting on his knees and focused his eyes on the still-open message:

_Arrived. Safe._

Concise. Succinct. The kind of communication Hux might have wanted from Ren a few months back. Now…

What was the saying? _Familiarity breeds contempt_. He did his best not to get too familiar with people. There was value in the team, in numbers, in people believing in their individual importance to the system – but everyone was replaceable, in the end. Hux thought familiarity was, in essence, a waste of his time.

If his experience with Ren was anything to report, however, it would only serve to devalue the saying. _Distance_ is what bred this contempt he felt here, now, not knowing what the hell Ren meant by _arrived_ and, even worse, _safe_. The two things ought to be assumed. Was there cause for worry? He felt an annoyance that squeezed hard inside his chest, made it difficult for him to focus.

Maybe their fraternizing started earlier than that. When was the first time he let Ren stay the night in his room? Nothing had happened, of course, it was strictly professional – he had too much work to do to leave his desk, and Ren had too many complaints to stay quiet for one more night.

He had sprawled himself across Hux’s bed as he waited for him to finish a task, something probably menial in retrospect – and by the time Hux had finished, Ren was fast asleep.

 _Arrived._ Of course he arrived. _Safe._ That shouldn’t even be in question. Ren never would have checked in so soon before. So why now? What was different?

He began drafting a reply. Something inane. _Where?_ Deleted. He already knew where. _When?_ Not long ago, according to the coordinate reports on his ship. _Why are you telling m-_

The datapad moved from his lap to the desk with a clatter as Hux sighed heavy through his nose, one hand rising to run through his hair. The styling came apart as he scratched at the base of his scalp, frowning at the drafted reply with contempt for his own self.

Why did he _care?_ It wasn’t like Ren _hadn’t_ been away on missions before. Hux never worried before. Hux never pained over responding to two-word messages – or _any_ messages from Kylo Ren, for that matter. But there was something cruel, something wicked in the back of his mind reminding him, _it’s different this time._

It was different this time, wasn’t it?

Unfortunately true.

Ren had become familiar. Hux did not feel contempt. He felt a sort of comfort in Ren’s presence, even when he was flopping around on the bed, impatient for Hux to finish whatever it was he was doing.

He picked up the datapad and erased what was there. He shouldn’t question Ren. It might set him off, rub him wrong. If for no other reason than not wanting to pay for repairs, a respectful reply was the best bet. So he tried again.

_Keep me posted._

It gave no more than Ren’s message. Succinct. To the point. He frowned as his finger hovered over the send button, debating on whether or not it looked over-concerned. Did he sound like a worried wife?

It didn’t matter. He didn’t have time to be insecure or sentimental. It said what he needed it to, and he hit the _send_ button before quickly navigating away, burying himself in some communication from another fleet about formation regulation and chain of command. Important, yet menial. And dense enough that it stopped him from worrying about how someone might read his messages. If they were reading them. When they might get the chance, and if they would even reply… How would they reply? Would they perhaps demean his concern, or would they see it for the indifferent professional communication that it was?

He was more than halfway through the technical explanations of the ship possibilities when he realized he wasn’t reading it. He frowned, dragging his eyes back to the top, angry at himself for not focusing.

Barely another minute passed before the datapad buzzed with a notification from Kylo Ren. Hux ioebed it immediately, without thinking twice about the other fleet’s message.

_Of course._

His frown deepened as he worried his brows, anger settling in the pit of his gut. Was that an attitude? He rested his hand on the desk, curling it tightly into a fist as he considered what that _of course_ was supposed to _mean_. He couldn’t even hear it in Ren’s voice, couldn’t imagine him saying it in person. Was it meant to be sarcastic? Was it disrespectful on purpose? Was this outside of protocol for him, or was he ignoring protocol on purpose? _Of course_ was not adequate. _Of course_ was not informative.

His chest was tightening even harder over his breath when the datapad buzzed again with a follow-up message:

_Be available when I return._

All at once, the tension in his chest eased. He picked up the datapad, letting it sag somewhat in his fingers as something akin to a smile kicked up at the corner of his lips. His building anger was quelled by a single message.

How like Ren to form a request as a command.

It made sense now that Ren’s initial report was a courtesy. This extraneous request sounded to Hux like Ren just wanted to speak with him. He didn’t really have the time for a conversation, but he could humor the command.

So the next reply came easier to Hux:

_Of course._

He hit send and set the datapad back down. A few late nights of work, sure; he would have to strain himself while Ren was gone. But he would be damn sure Ren wasn’t sleeping alone in Hux’s bed the night he returned.


End file.
